School Outreach Programs (Pre-K - Grade 12)

School Outreach Program Quick Guide

Listed alphabetically. Year-round unless otherwise noted.

Animals, Authors, & Art

Students will delve into a storybook, meet a live animal, and complete a craft based on the program theme. Please choose one of the following animal themes for your program: Birds, Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians, Insects.Recommended for Grades Pre-K - K.

Bird Brains

What makes a bird a bird? We’ll get to know our feathered friends through discovery activities, investigating bird biofacts, and meeting a friendly live bird that students can actually touch. Students will even get to dress up one of their classmates!Recommended for Grades Pre-K - 5.

Getting Ready for Winter

Brr…It’s getting cold outside! Discover how Rhode Island’s plants and animals prepare for the change in seasons. We’ll meet a live animal, play games, and much more.Recommended for Grades Pre-K - K. (October - February only)

Go Wild for Herptiles (Outreach Version)

Your students will go wild for reptiles and amphibians, a group that is collectively known as “herptiles.” Up-close animal observation time will acquaint your students with the special adaptations of this group. This class also features hands-on activities: classification games for elementary students or an endangered species case study debate for middle and high school students.Recommended for Grades 3 - 12.

Hunters of the Sky

Meet a live bird of prey up close as we examine their unique natural history and the adaptations that make raptors such powerful and successful predators. Students will examine feathers and skulls up close in order to “dig deeper” and answer questions about the birds they came from. Teachers can opt for a guided owl pellet dissection activity instead of skull and feather investigation with an additional charge of $2 per pellet.Recommended for Grades 3 - 12.

Meet the Animals

Meet a variety of the Sanctuary’s education animals, with an emphasis on the animals’ adaptations, natural history, and behavior. If you have a special request, such as no mammals due to a student allergy, please inform us at the time of booking. Please note that while raptors are not included in the program, you may request a chicken presentation.Recommended for Grades 1 - 5.

Metamorphosis Puppet Show

Norman, a Rhode Island Red rooster, discovers that his friend, a Monarch caterpillar, will soon change into a butterfly. Join Norman and his friends as they learn about the mysterious process of metamorphosis during this amusing, interactive puppet show. Following the show, students will engage in imaginative play to better understand life cycle changes. Students will also meet a live animal version of a character from the show!Recommended for Grades Pre-K - K.

Physics of Flight

Students will examine the general principles behind the physics of flight. We will use multimedia and interactive experiments to illustrate the anatomy, physiology and locomotion of a variety of flying animals, with a focus on birds.Recommended for Grades 6 - 12.

Schoolyard Habitats

Your group will investigate the often overlooked ecology of your own school yard through observation, data collection, and fun activities. You’ll never look at your school the same way again!Recommended for Grades 1 - 5. (September - November & April - June only)

What’s Bugging You?

An introduction to insects, spiders, and other invertebrates. A visit from a live invertebrate will highlight the group’s many adaptations for survival. Students will participate in hands-on activities that reinforce concepts such as camouflage, vertebrates vs. invertebrates, and habitats.Recommended for Grades Pre-K - 5.

What's Your Cover?

This is the Pre-K & K version of Meet the Animals. We will focus on fur, feathers, and scales as students put on their detective hats to compare mammals, reptiles, and birds.Recommended for Grades Pre-K - K.